thinkThin Protein Bars
Did you know that if you have protein in the morning you're more likely to feel better, have more energy, and overall start your day on the right foot? It's true. A doctor told me. See, I have a VERY hard time getting up and going in the morning. It's a fibromyalgia thing. Before fibro, I was actually pretty good at getting up in the morning. Even now, if I have a commitment, I can rally and get up and moving. It's those mornings when I don't have to get up and get somewhere quickly. Then I'm super duper sluggish. When I heard about this protein trick, I thought, "Well, that's nice. There's no way I'm getting up in the morning and like, making some eggs and bacon or some shit." I'm such a lifeless blob in the morning that I need something I can just grab and eat while I crawl back in bed and read email/the news. My go-to used to be Larabars, until I discovered that their protein content is abysmal. At least, compared to what I should be consuming. I started shopping for an alternative, and it was difficult, because I'm allergic to sugar, and brown rice, and safflower oil. These are ingredients in EVERYTHING. My Whole Foods has a whole aisle of various bars, and there was only one protein packed option that worked with all my dietary needs: thinkThin.
I grabbed one of every flavor of thinkThin offered at my Whole Foods (they didn't have all the flavors thinkThin offers, but they had a lot), the plan being that I'd sample them all and find my favorite, then buy it on Amazon, where it'd be cheaper and ship to my house in two days for free. This project had unexpected results: ALL the flavors were good (I didn't care for the espresso, but that doesn't mean it was bad. It just wasn't my cup of tea). But since you can't buy in bulk AND make your own combo pack, I decided I liked creamy peanut butter the best.
It's been a few months, and I eat a Creamy Peanut Butter thinkThin and half of a Mega Mango Naked Juice pretty much every morning. And you know what? It DOES perk me up! Whodathunk a doctor would be right about science?! But seriously, these things are pretty amazing. I keep one in my bag now too, for when I'm on the road and need a pick-me-up. Each Creamy Peanut Butter thinkThin bar has a whopping 20g of protein, 0g of sugar (11g of sugar alcohols, however), and 240 calories. They make a great breakfast for those of us afflicted with morning-groggy-blobbiness.
One warning: thinkThin bars don't have any cane sugar, but they do have maltitol, which is a sugar alcohol that can cause stomach upset in some people if they eat too much. I don't have a problem with these bars, but some people are sensitive to sugar alcohols, so be aware. Also, if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, check the labels on EACH flavor. Some don't fit within my diet, while some do. And don't believe the ingredients listed on Amazon, they don't match up with what's on the actual package. Check the thinkThin site (or an actual, physical thinkThin bar) instead. I know reading labels obsessively is a pain, but I can't do all the work for you, now can I?
thinkThin Protein Bars (Creamy Peanut Butter Flavor): Box of 10 for $16